Now that school is back in session, it's time to get those sleep schedules nailed down. It's beyond essential! And not because I say so... Rachel Dawkins, M.D., with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, says so:
Kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can lead to high blood pressure, obesity and even depression.
So how much sleep does a person need for their specific age?
I 100% get how friggin' hard it is t get kids on a scheduled sleep routine. My son is nine and I still prepare for bedtime-war EVERY SINGLE STUPID NIGHT! It's worth it. Here are some things that help get him in the sleep-spirit:
Start at the SAME TIME EVERY NIGHT!
NO electronics/screens at least an hour before bed
NO caffeine after 5pm
Warm shower/bath
Read before bed
Don't give into the BS about being hungry, thirsty, and every other crap excuse to prolong bedtime.
It takes about three weeks to fully nail down the bedtime routine, but once your child's arcadian rhythm gets with the flow, bedtime is actually not total brain damage.
The time has finally come, my lil' guy is ready for epic sleepovers. He's been talking about having a sleepover with his best friend since they were four, but they never went through with it. That all changed three weeks ago when Ollie took the plunge and stayed the night next door at his best friend's house. I couldn't believe he made it. I stayed up all night waiting for the call to get him. It never came. What did come was the next morning when the two boys were already planning a sleepover at our house.
Y'all, who knew the idea of having a sleepover could cause so much angst?! Where would they sleep? What would they do all night? Do I plan activities? What do I feed them? Do I make them go to sleep? Do I just let them be crazy all night and try to not lose my mind?
Thankfully, a little Q&A with other parents, online research and a new super comfy Gel Foam Bedgave me all the confidence needed to host an epic sleepover. Here's how it's done...
1. Pick Your Poison
The first thing you have to ask yourself, what kind of sleepover do you want to host? Do you want to be an all-out overachiever and plan an extravagant night of fun? Or do you want to be easy-breezy go with the flow? Or somewhere in the middle. Before you answer, I want to give you fair warning... If you go wild with a super themed party complete with out-of-this-world themed snacks, that is where you are setting the bar for all sleepovers to follow.
Whether you are an over-achiever or a go-with-the-flow parent, below are some great, and easy enough, ideas to help you host an epic sleepover.
DIY Pizza + Movie Marathon
Stuff the idea of ordering three pizzas with a multitude of toppings, halved on each pizza, to please everyone. Buy premade pizza rounds or dough and let everyone make their own pizza. Another great twist on the movie night popcorn is offering a popcorn topping and mix-in buffet. Again easy and crowd-pleasing!
Indoor Camping + Scavenger Hunt
This is a great idea during those cold winter months. Pitch the tent and throw in loads of pillows, blankets and fairy lights. A fun way to wear down the little ones is make up a fun scavenger hunt. Have stations with small puzzles and videos that hold the clues to the next stop. It fills the time and keeps their brains churning.
Ultra-Girly Get Together + Mask Tye-Dye DIY
A pamper party with fun crafts is always a winner. Think: Mask tye-dye party or paint Kindness Rocks. BONUS: When the rocks are dry take a late-night neighborhood stroll to hide the rocks.
Backyard Camping + Glow-In-The-Dark Games
I LOVE the idea of blowing up a backyard pool and turning it into a cloud of pillows and blankets for a night under the stars. Keep the backyard party going with glow-in-the-dark ring toss, egg hunt, water bottle bowling and DIY faux firefly jars!
Themed Throwdown
If you feel up for the challenge, head to the party supply store and go theme crazy. Consider everything down to the pajamas and slippers. While it may kill you to go all out, your slumber party could end up being the event-of-the-year!
Think: LEGO, Superheros, Pirates, Princess...
2. Games For The Win
Don't have the budget or time to pull together an extravagant planned sleepover? Then make sure you have a few games ready to fill the lulls in the night. Or better yet, make it a game night and keep them guessing on what's next with timed events hidden inside balloons!
There are LOADS of fun games to play at sleepovers all over the internet. Here are a few of my favs...
Would You Rather IRL: Make up a Would You Rather game with real-life choices! Think: Eat Sardines or clean up dog poop. (Get the kids to do all the stuff you don't want too! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!)
Hide & Seek: Speaking of sardines, have the kids try the new fun twist on Hide & Seek called Sardines.
Bob for Apples: It's one of the oldest party games because it NEVER GETS OLD!
Keep, Pass, Eat: Even without Covid-19, it's best to use wrapped/sealed pieces of candy for this one.
And of course, video games. But that's a given.
3. Snacks or Die.
Don't depend on only your pantry or the pizza dude to feed the crew. Make sure you have snacks, meals, and drinks planned. But before you head to the store, call the parents to see if you should be aware of any food allergies or forbidden foods. I have a friend who will not let her child have anything with certain food dyes. Making the call also opens the line of communication between you and the parents.
Two of my favorite easy snack ideas were the all-night cereal bar and premade snack kit.
This little snack kit is perfect for containing spills and keeping everyone organized.
**Whether or not you want to set up a food bar or have snacks on hand, make sure they are easily accessible and as low on sugar as possible.
4. The Sleep Spot
Being that it's a sleepover, you're gonna need a solid sleeping arrangement. After all, there is a point where sleeping should commence. Even if it's when the birds start chirping.
This was one of my biggest concerns. Ollie has nowhere near enough room for two sleeping bags to fit on the open floor space in his room. I knew it was time to finally put a trundle bed under his open bunk bed space. He'd been using the space as a 24/7 fort, or really, the place he would stuff everything when I told him to clean his room.
I was able to secure the Miranda gel foam bed-in-a-box mattress from Sound Sleep Solutions and was BLOWN AWAY! It's INSANE what can be done with a mattress these days. And it was SO LIGHTWEIGHT! I could carry it up the stairs by myself! In the words of my mother, "That mattress is far superior to any mattress I've ever bought."
All Sound Sleep Solutions mattresses are made in the USA and they have been rated #1 by Better Homes and Gardens! As a bonus, the box is huge so the fun for the kids is really endless. It's possible my son was just as excited about the box as the mattress.
Y'all, if you've bought a cheap box bed in the past, and have lost all hope for them, I'm here to tell you all hope is not lost. I wholly recommend checking out Sound Sleep Solutions' Gel Foam Beds. Currently, (8/20) the company is offering a $350 off summer sale - that's basically 40% off the mattress! If you're reading this post after the sale has ended, no worries, use CODE: Firsttimemomanddad at checkout to get $350 off!
Click the image below to see full specs...
*I worked with Gel Foam Bed in the creation of the article. All opinions are my own. No affiliate links were used within this post.
Thanks to COVID-19, chances are you have been stuck at home with your child for what seems like forever-and-a-day. To add insult to injury, millions of children are not going back to school anytime soon. Most likely, January. So, if you're asking yourself, How in the hell am I going to survive this madness, then keep reading for a few tips to save your sanity...
1. Get over yourself. YOU CANNOT DO IT ALL!
The first rule of Stay-at-Home Parent (SAHP) Club: YOU CANNOT DO IT ALL. Seriously, let it go. Consider this time an incredible blessing with your child. Don't waste it stressing out. Your mantra is one-day-at-a-time. There will be no parenting awards given out at the end of quarantine. Do what you can, and don't stress about the rest.
Admittedly, it took some time, but I finally learned, I'm not a superhero. Being a boss mom, wife, domestic diva, and get my work done all on the same day is crazy hard and should be avoided at all costs. I'd half-ass so much inevitably I'd have to go back and do it again. So, rather than stress out about doing it all, I do what can and I'm happy with that.
2. Create a safe place for both of you.
For parents of super littles (0-3yrs):
Create a place in your home where you can leave your child for a few minutes and walk away. When Oliver was a baby, it was his crib, then eventually his pack-n-play in front of the TV or window, and now, the iPad. (That’s right, I let my kid watch TV before 2 years old. Judge me. I don’t care.) Tip: No, Pack-n-play? The highchair with a snack is a good spot.
I LOVE this photo... it's a 10-month old Ollie!
Again, this is a 10-15 minute fix. Not a babysitter! A few minutes away can do both of you a tremendous amount of good. Get your shit together. And get back in the trenches.
For the Big Kids (4+), I've found making up a task for my son to do is great for buying a few quiet minutes, or more... folding the clothes in his drawers for a treat. Or hide something in the house and send your child on a treasure hunt, or sort toys or read a book and give a book report to earn a treat.
The point of the 'safe place' is so YOU BOTH can have a time-out whenever needed. The minute you are going to lose your shit, and it happens to the best of us when we have a child attached to our ass 24/7.
3. Play with your child(ren), don’t just go through the motions.
One of the biggest issues with being a SAHP is getting things done. It's nearly impossible when you're answering four hundred, 'Why?' questions, cleaning up crumbs and spills and digging You child’s toys out of the dog's mouth. I can get so caught up in the daily mom-madness I forget my little guy is looking for a playmate. A good playmate. Not, a mommy so preoccupied in thought only sort of playing and sort of not.
I've found if I mentally prepare myself for giving my son undivided attention for the next five to ten minutes, I can relax enough to play wholeheartedly and appreciate every minute. I've also found that all my son wants is a few minutes of my attention before he is satisfied and off to the next stop in his day. I'll also offer ideas of things to do I enjoy as well like coloring or a board game. We both have way more fun, I get up feeling like a good mom, and my son is happy to resume his solo play. It makes SUCH a difference.
4. Get out of the House!
The minute I get cabin fever, I pack up Ollie and we go on an adventure. Lately, picnics have been our go-to. There's a private airfield by our house we go to for plane watching while we eat lunch or cheeky donut breakfast. We also go for hikes in the woods, bike rides or do something as simple as going on a bug, leaf, and sick hunt in the backyard. Or, just go for a drive in the car. Break up the day when possible.
5. Plan ahead to get ahead.
As soon as you finish reading this post, grab a pen and paper and write down activities both in the house and out you enjoy doing with your child. Make a separate list of activities your child(ren) enjoy doing on their own. Cut each idea into a strip of paper and throw it in a jar. When y'all get bored, pull an idea from the jar.
6. The art of Art is truly an Art.
I don't care how old you are, arts and crafts are always fun! Plan a few creative projects to do as a family. Paint a room, redecorate, buy cheap frames to paint and personalize, then take fun photos or find old ones for the new frames. Make wind chimes from sticks and rocks in the backyard or found on a walk. Or make your own frameable art!
No doubt, it's a blessing to get to be home with your child, even if sometimes it feels like a punishment from the land of Karma. You'll never get these years back, so embrace them. When you think you are going to lose your sh!t take a few deep breaths, then go back and look at your beautiful child. Be thankful that you are there to share these precious moments. If COVID-19 has taught us anything... every moment matters...
When you are feeling overwhelmed, remember this too shall pass and when it does you will miss it very, very, very much.
Have a Stay At Home Parent survival tip? Please share!
Did you know, you can make superfood popsicles with ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen?
It's true.
If you have yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit/greens and/or juice you have AWESOME popsicles waiting to be made. Just pull out the Dixie cups and craft sticks, then pour and freeze.
It's seriously THAT simple!
In fact, not only do I save money by making my own popsicles, I waste less too! I open the produce drawer and start grabbing the things that need to be used; spinach, kale, apples, oranges, strawberries, bananas... Then throw them in the blender with yogurt, juice or coconut water easy and healthy.
OK, now that the molds are covered, it's time to move on to the super-duper easy part, making the popsicles!
These Peanut Butter Banana Ice Pops are SO simple and great for breakfast on-the-go too! Add Peanut Butter, Bananas, honey, almond milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of Himalayan salt, then blend, pour, freeze, eat!
These Peach Smoothie Popsicles from Brit + Co are a summer staple for me. I LOVE peaches and so does the kid. Sometimes I throw in chocolate shavings for an extra sweet treat!
Tip: To make those fancy layers pour one or two layers in at a time then freeze. Repeat.
Looking for the REAL breakfast of champions? Look no further than these Yogurt Parfait Popsicles.
Mix greek yogurt with a little honey, grab berries and granola and start layering. Add smoothie mix-ins like protein powder or superfood powder for an extra kick.
Hate throwing away leftover melon? Puree it, then mix in a little coconut water, juice or yogurt to give it a smoother texture.
Can't be bothered to blend? Slice the fruit, stick a stick in it and freeze. Chocolate optional. (As if.)
I'm sure you get the point, Homemade Superfood Popsicles are easy and yummy. Now, go dig in the fridge and make something magical!
